A day after kicking off his 2014 campaign for governor with a low-key web video, Republican Charlie Baker invited the media to his home in Swampscott — and made it clear that his new bid for the corner office won’t resemble the one he mounted three years ago.
“Lauren and I are pleased to welcome you to our yard here in Swampscott,” Baker announced, after exiting his home with his wife and walking to a microphone set up in their yard. “And I want to thank you for bringing the sun here as you all arrived.”
The journalists who trekked to Baker’s house were lavished with cookies distributed by a Baker staffer, and had a chance to spend some quality time with Baker’s dog. They also heard Baker insist he’s not really the guy voters saw during his 2010 run for governor.
“After the last race was over,” Baker recalled, “one of the things we both heard from a lot of the people I’d worked with for years at Harvard Pilgrim, and a lot of the people that I’ve worked with in state government for years, and a lot of our friends and neighbors here in Swampscott was: ‘Geez, that sunny, let’s go get ’em, let’s take the hill, let’s take the mountain Charlie Baker that we all know so well — we didn’t see much of him in the campaign.”
With his wife Lauren by his side, Baker vowed to change that in his upcoming campaign.
“Whatever happens in November 2014,” Baker said, “we do not want the people who know me best to come up to us afterwards and say, ‘Where were you?’”
Baker also outlined his public policy priorities, including improving the Massachusetts job market and narrowing the gap between the state’s best and works public schools. And he deflected a request to grade the performance of Gov. Deval Patrick, the man who beat him three years ago.
“We both have a tremendous amount of respect for the governor,” Baker said, adding: “I’m really mostly going to focus on where I want to go with the Commonwealth, and what my agenda and my vision is for the state going forward.”
That’s a notable shift from 2010, when Baker asked prospective voters: “Had enough?” His slogan this time around: “Let’s be great, Massachusetts.”
